AT 4 PM EST...2100 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED AHURRICANE WARNING FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF SANCTI SPIRITUS...CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY AND LAS TUNAS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANSTHAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREAWITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTYSHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

AT 4 PM EST...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORMWARNING FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF GRANMA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNINGAND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OFGRANMA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS AREPOSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. ATROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS AREEXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TOCOMPLETION.

INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA AND THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULDCLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA.

AT 400 PM EST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATEDNEAR LATITUDE 18.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.3 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES... 70 KM...SOUTH OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 290 MILES...465 KM...SOUTHWEST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA.

PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR. ATURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND THAT GENERALMOTION IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECASTTRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA WILL PASS NEAR THE CAYMAN ISLANDSTONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY AND BE APPROACHING THE COAST OF CENTRALCUBA LATE SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHERGUSTS. PALOMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSONSCALE. FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY AND PALOMA COULD BECOME ACATEGORY THREE HURRICANE TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW. SLOW WEAKENINGIS POSSIBLE BY LATE SATURDAY.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE AS ESTIMATED FROM AIR FORCERESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT DATA IS 967 MB...28.56INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTEDNEAR THE CENTER OF PALOMA IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. STORM SURGEFLOODING OF 8 TO 12 FEET IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERETHE CENTER OF PALOMA MAKES LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA.

PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO10 INCHES OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA WITHISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. FLASH FLOOD ANDMUDSLIDES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER TERRAIN.

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